The Other Uzumaki
by Azhure99
Summary: Naruto is killed by Sasuke at the valley of the end, but Naruto had a twin sister, Naruko, all this time. Chaos ensues when she returns to the village hidden in the leaves and the story of "Naruto" is drastically changed. Something strange happens when she meets the man who murdered her brother, Sasuke Uchiha, her brother's best friend. SASUNARU (fem Naruto)
1. Chapter 1

Valley of the End

Sasuke stood over the body of his best friend Naruto. "I'm..." Sasuke began but collapsed to his knees staring face to face at his friend. "Sorry," He finished a tear leaking out of his eyes as he stared at his lifeless friend. Naruto was dead by Sasuke's hand. Sasuke felt his eyes change. _So this is the power Itachi had talked about_, he thought to himself. He sensed someone coming, Kakashi. Sasuke got to his feet and began to walk away, pausing to look back over his shoulder to get one last look at his best friend before heading to the hideout of Oorochimaru.

Naruko was twelve the day everything changed. She woke up in her small apartment in the tiny village conveniently located in the middle of nowhere and made herself some ramen for breakfast. She was a terrible cook but luckily ramen was her favorite food so it kind of worked out alright. She had nowhere to go today, she had nowhere to go any day, she was just "That orphan" who lived alone, the village pariah. She didn't know who or why but someone had paid for her living expenses since she was born, secretly she always hoped it was her parents who would come back to her someday and explain why all this was necessary.

For the first time in her life there was a knock on the door. Apprehensive, she answered, staring at the oddest looking old man in the world. He had bushels of long white hair, a large headband, red vest and two red trails of tears tattooed under his eyes. Jirayia smiled warmly at the girl, noticing her look of shock, trying to be comforting. "Naruko, you've gotten so big." He commented only furthering the state of shock Naruko was in, _This man knew me as a child! _She tried to reel in her emotions but they were going crazy. _Is this the man who pays for me? Does he know who I am? Is he my family? Does he know where they are? _He seemed to know what she was thinking and replied, "Come for a walk with me Naruko and I'll answer all your questions."

She had no idea what to say to this so she just threw on her bright orange jacket over her black pants and black tank top and put her shoes on following the mysterious man out the door. They walked in silence for awhile, Naruko enjoying the feeling of walking with someone for the first time in her life. When they were a good ways out of town he sat down on a large rock and started talking. "My name is Jirayia, toad sage of the hidden leaf village." He sighed seemingly not knowing where to start. "I was a good friend to your parents," He started. Her eyes widened at this information but quickly turned into a frown _was_, so her parents were dead then. "You're parents were killed 12 years ago when the nine tailed fox attacked the leaf village, Your father as hokage and your mother by his side gave their lives to protect you and the leaf village." Ninjas! Her parents were ninjas and her father Hokage!

Despite having never met them Naruko was extremely proud to be their daughter, she had always aspired to be the greatest ninja, although growing up so far from the nearest ninja village she had been waiting until her 13th birthday to seek one out. "That day they entrusted your brother, born only a few minutes before you, with a terrible burden." Brother! She had a brother, hope welled in her heart. "He was made jinchiuriki of the nine tailed fox, there was nothing I could do for him but watch over him. But you, I thought I could save you from all of that by bringing you here. This is the most peaceful and kind village I have ever come across in all my travels, I thought here you'd be safe and loved. I was always planning on training you when you were 13 but it can't wait another day." _Training? What is he talking about? What happened to my brother?! _

"Where is HE!" She shouted out unable to control her emotions, this man left her with six more questions for everyone he answered. "Take me to him! I want to see my BROTHER!" She screamed the last word with all of the pain in her heart. Her desperation and despair hit the seasoned Jiraya like a tidal wave. Nothing he had ever experienced before had prepared him for her pain.

"Naruko, He..." He choked up tears welling in his eyes. The old toad sage hung his head unable to look into her pain filled eyes and deliver yet another blow to the poor girl. "He was killed five days ago."

"No," She whispered to herself, "NO!" She screamed at him, the winds rising up and blowing her long blonde hair out behind her. As she started to cry the winds picked up throwing sticks and leafs at them both. Naruko just stood shaking "Why did you come!" She screamed at the old man as the wind became so strong it threatened to blow them over. "Did you just come out here to tell me my entire family is dead!" Jirayia raised his arms crossing them in front of his face to protect himself from the onslaught of the powerful winds which seemed to be tied to the distressed young girl in front of him.

"I came to protect you! There are people who may come after you now! I can't trust everyone who knows your secret. I want to train you so you'll be safe!" His voice was almost lost in the howling wind, "You and Naruto are like grandchildren to me! I can't lose you too!"

The wind died abruptly. The use of her brothers name calmed her, also the insinuation that this man was her family too. "You'll train me to be the greatest ninja?" She questioned hesitantly before finishing, "And teach me about my family?"

"Yes,"

"Then let's go." She said not even bothering to go back for her stuff, there was nothing in her old life worth keeping.


	2. Chapter 2

Jiraiya stared at his student, Naruko was standing in the field in front of him and in her hand was the perfect wind-style rasengan. From the day he had gone to get her she had shown a surprising aptitude for wind-style and an incredible almost unbelievable amount of chakra. With so much chakra teaching her chakra control had been the hardest, she always tended to overdo things and cause a large amount of destruction as a result. She would be sixteen next month, Naruko was strong and confident and always cheerful, it was time for her to see the Hidden Leaf.

"This is your village," Jiraiya said as they stood at the gates of the hidden leaf village. Naruko was so excited she was visibly shaking. "You were born here. This is where your parents and your brother lived." He explained even though she already knew hoping his voice was soothing to her as they walked through the streets. She couldn't help herself, wanting to see it all immediately she jumped up on a pole to get the whole view and take it all in.

A pink haired girl approached Jiraiya below and shouted so loud Naruko almost fell off the pole. She jumped down to her sensei's side. "Naruto!" The girl shouted then punched her in the head. Jiraiya stepped in front of Naruko waving his arms and explaining the twin thing.

"OWE!" Naruko said rubbing her head where Sakura hit her.

"Sorry," Sakura said. "It's just... you look so much like him..." Tears formed in her eyes, "I was his teammate, squad seven, I'm Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you."

"Naruko Uzumaki" Naruko replied holding her hand out to shake but was grabbed and hugged by a blubbering Sakura instead.

"Right, well we had better be going we have an important date with the hokage." Jiraiya spoke up when Sakura didn't let go of his student.

Sakura finally released a very shocked looking Naruko, who had never been hugged like that before in her life. "Right, I can't wait to get to know you better Naruko." Sakura said as farewell before walking away.

The meeting with Tsunade went well, She was graciously welcomed to the village (Naruko had never been graciously welcomed before) and was given a time and place where she would be tested to see her skills. Then Jiraiya had walked Naruko to the place she had most wanted to see. He left her alone staring at the door. After a few minutes Naruko noticed a tear trailing down her cheek with all of her bravery she lifted her hand to the door knob and turned it.

Naruto's place was small and empty. It was completely covered in a fine layer of dust as Naruko looked around. It was practically empty, a few cups of ramen in the cupboard, a blanket on the bed, but basically bare. On the wall was a poster of the symbol of the leaf village and next to the window was the picture she both dreaded and wanted to see. She sat down on her brother's bead and picked the frame up in her hands.

She recognized her brother immediately, it was like looking into a blurry mirror. He had her same yellow hair and tan skin, his eyes were the same blue. A tear formed in her eyes as for the first time she saw a picture of her family. Naruto. Her brother. He was handsome and happy and Naruko was completely captured by him. She had never loved anything as much as she loved Naruto, and she had never even met him.

She cried until she couldn't cry anymore then turned her eyes to the other boy in the picture. Dark hair, dark eyes, a silly grumpy face, Sasuke Uchiha. This was the boy who killed her brother, the person her brother loved enough to die for. It was clear even from the picture, Naruto only had eyes for Sasuke. The way he looked at him was like nothing else in the world mattered, there was only Sasuke.

_Sasuke Uchiha. What to do about Sasuke? _She thought as she laid back on Naruto's bed. _He killed Naruto. Naruto loved him. Revenge or respect Naruto's wishes? Heh. _She laughed to herself _Sasuke's revenge is the reason I'm in this position. There's nothing good in revenge. _She sat up having decided and looked directly at the picture of her brother in her hand. "I'll bring Sasuke home for you Nii-san, I'll never give up!"

She lay in her brother's bed hat night, having already decided to move in. In a way it was like he was there with her. She just stared at the ceiling crazy thoughts going round and round in her head. There was no way she was going to get any sleep like that so she threw the covers off frustrated and got out of bed. She was just wearing a pair of loose fitting black pants and a loose leaf village t-shirt she had found in the dresser but she felt possessed by this crazy idea, no, need of hers. She opened the window and jumped out onto the roof.

She had not expected to find Kakashi, Naruto's sensei, sitting out there reading a pervy novel. She just stared at him dumbstruck, it was the weirdest moment of her life so far. "I thought there might be someplace else you wanted see." Kakashi said somehow reading her mind. She nodded in response still not knowing what to say. He stood putting his book away jumping to the next roof over and continuing on.

She followed him finally getting the courage to shout, "Where are you leading me?!"

"Trust me," He said looking back and smiling through his mask. Even though she couldn't see most of his face she found him comforting and silently followed him until they landed on a large balcony.

"Where are we?" Naruko said narrowing her eyes at the slightly strange jonin in front of her.

"The only other place in Konoha you wanted to see..." He trailed off purposely making her say it out loud.

"Sasuke's" With that he just smiled and poofed out of sight. She opened the sliding glass door from the balcony and entered the room. It was the opposite of Naruto's. Where all of Naruto's stuff had been hard wooden and in disrepair, Sasuke's room was comfortable and clean. There was a plush armchair in one corner, a tv, and a large bed with soft covers and lots of pillows. There were scrolls on the walls and books in the shelves and on tables and a large window, which combined with the large glass door she just walked in allowed the room to let in a large amount of the soft moonlight.

She walked around eventually coming to the window on top of the wait high bookshelves under the window was a single picture frame. It was face down but she knew this was no accident. It was the only picture in the entire room meaning it was entirely important to it's owner. She lifted the frame to see the same picture that had so entranced her earlier. Team 7. So Sasuke cared after all. He had such a soft spot for his teammates that he couldn't have betrayed them and walked out of the village that night without turning the picture down.

_So I was right, there is hope._ She thought looking around. There was nothing sinister of evil about Sasuke at all.

The next day she met her master, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Sakura at the Leaf's training grounds. She was being tested to see if she was strong enough to take her brothers place. It was an honor they had even thought to let her try but it turned out her and Sakura got along very well and Kakashi was a lot like Jiraiya in the sense that they were both incredibly strong and perverted. She and Sakura struggled a bit but eventually got both bells, giving each other a large victory high-five. Team Kakashi they were called. _Just watch me Naruto, I won't let you down!_


	3. Chapter 3

**After **Naruto's death and the death of the Kyuubi with him the Akatsuki had gone back to their mercenary work until the day the nine-tails would be reborn. With that threat lessened Naruko and team Kakashi had been assigned the mission to search for Oorochimaru and Sasuke. Having very few things still Naruko packed up easily and had some free time on her hands so she wandered the village her legs inexplicably taking her to one of the two places she had decided never to visit.

The graveyard was empty save for the rustle of the wind over the fresh flower petals. It took her less time to find than she had expected. It was like she was drawn right to them. She stood staring at the headstones. Her whole family reunited finally. Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Kushina, Uzumaki Naruto. She lifted her head, tears pouring out of her eyes to glance up at the giant stone carving of her fathers head on the cliff. She stared at him accusingly, "how could you let this happen?" She asked him looking back to the graves of her whole family.

She sighed to herself finally regaining her composure. She left the graveyard and headed to the other place she had never wanted to visit figuring she might as well just get it all over with at once. Kakashi was standing in front of the stone monument for all the ninja killed in action when she arrived. He nodded his head at her acknowledging her presence without disturbing her thoughts.

She stood there envisioning her family surrounding her, Jiraiya had shown her pictures of her parents but hadn't had one of Naruto. Her mother smiled down at her in pride, her father looked so strong but when he saw her he would cry and hug her tight, she smiled to herself enjoying the fantasy. When her father stepped back Naruto would be standing there, her twin, taller than her with more frizzy hair. He smiled at her and waved, she ran towards him like a child and hugged him tight around the middle. He laughed first then wrapped his arms around her head and held her close. After awhile he pushed her back and said "Go on," and pushed her a little farther away stepping back to stand with their parents "Save Sasuke Dattebayo!"

"Dattebayo," Naruko repeated opening her eyes again. Kakashi looked at her a little shocked, how had she known to say that? He just shrugged to himself, smiling at Naruto's presence. "Come on Kakashi- sensei we're going to be late to meet Sakura."

"Naruko," Kakashi said so quietly she almost thought she had imagined it. She knew she hadn't when Kakashi was holding something out to her. It was a standard leaf village headband with a black band. She gingerly took it from Kakashi. "It was Naruto's, the band was damaged so it's new. I thought you might like to have it."

"Thank you," she said reverentially staring at the gift then wrapping it around her head under her pigtails and tying it tight.

"Uh.." He started then held out another treasure for her. It looked the same as her headband but the cloth hadn't been replaced and it was worn and beaten and the leaf symbol had a huge deep gash running through it. There would always be room for two men in her life, one was her amazing older brother and the other... "Sasuke," she said picking it up from a nodding Kakashi. She had no words of thanks left for this one, so she just tucked it away in a small pocket on the inside of her jacket and turned and left.

Tsunade met them at the gate clearly repeating her instructions again they were to collect information then return, they were not to attempt to do anything without her approval. Tsunade looked pointedly at Naruko as if expecting mutiny, she smiled to herself at that guess they knew her pretty well after all.

After two days of searching and no leads they took a break in a forest Naruko resting on the roots of a tree. The three of them jumped into attack formation and tried to conceal their presence at the sound of someone moving through the forest, two someones actually. They walked through the forest and Naruko thought they were going to pass them by until one turned to the other and said, "Hidan, what were you planning on doing about the ninja watching us."

The other sighed deeply "Why do we have to _do_ anything Kakazu?"

"You lazy..." Kakazu said grumbling as Naruko and her team jumped out of the tree to meet the threat as they were already exposed.

"Naruko, Sakura get back!" Kakashi warned noticing the red clouds on their outfits. "Akatsuki." He explained to the two kunoichi behind him.

"Heh" Naruko smiled, she had been waiting for this, the time she could finally use the all the ninja training she had. Her first real fight as a ninja.

"Leaf ninja," Kakazu confirmed after glancing over the trio. "Is that?" he questioned, "nine-tails?" he said staring directly at Naruko.

"I thought the nine-tails was dead." Hidan said examining the girl.

"Interesting."

"Can we just kill them and move on, I'm bored."

At that statement Kakashi had had enough of their causal chit chat about killing them and rushed at the one called Hidan. Naruko and Sakura took Kakazu. He was fast Naruko and Sakura had a hard time keeping up and his weird thread things were deadly.

Naruko quickly learned that he somehow had all the chakra natures, when he had first used lightning she had gone in with a wind blade attack only to be met with a fire defense which singed her pants at the knee. One of his threads wrapped around her wrist while she was temporarily distracted by her burning clothes and pulled her quickly downward **SMACK** into the hard earth. As she got up rubbing her head she heard Sakura scream and Naruko was done playing around.

She needed some sort of distraction, she needed clones. She was _terrible _at the clone jutsu, not even a little, like patheticly bad at it. Sakura screamed her name and Naruko made the hand-sign for the clone jutsu, taking a deep breath before casting it. She felt Naruto wrap his arms around her and make the symbol in front of hers and scream with her "Kage-bunshin- no jutsu!"

She blinked her eyes unable to believe the sight in front of her. There were thousands of clones, thousands of perfect shadow clones! When her brain recovered enough to think they all attacked While she formed her wind-style rasen shuriken using the clones to hide her position until she hit Kakazu straight on with it.

The clones disappeared as The wind-stlye attack went off like a bomb.

Sasuke was out conducting some stupid task for Oorochimaru in the forest of the land of fire when he was blinded by a huge bright white light. He activated his mangekyo sharingan impressed at the almost infinite number of wind-style attacks slashing though the dome. _Who ever used that justu must be very powerful_. He thought to himself interested.

The blast knocked everyone backwards leaving Kakashi and Sakura on the far side of the slowly dying dome and Hidan on Naruko's side. Kakazu was completely dead, his body landing with a thunk in the center of the crater. Naruko was tried from all the chakra the clones and shuriken had used and wobbily got to her feet. She tried to dodge as Hidan's horrible tri-blade scythe flew through the air at her but it nicked her on her right shoulder.

Kakashi and Sakura were still down, she was on her own for this one. She was a little freaked out when Hidan licked her blood off his blade, created a ritual circle and turned black and white. "The ritual is completed. Now you and I will share in the ultimate pain!" He shouted at her.

Naruko glared daggers at the akatsuki. He pulled an extendable metal blade out and raised it in the air. She watched as he brought it down and stabbed himself in the thigh with it.

Her leg collapsed under her and she dropped to her knees. Her eyes flew to the wound Hidan had inflicted on himself appearing on her body. She looked up shocked. "Hurts doesn't it?" He mocked, "and I didn't even hit a vital spot!" He cackled with mad laughter.

"No way!" she said shocked.

Sasuke arrived at the scene of the jutsu his eyes taking in the large crater. He saw Kakashi and Sakura getting up and walking towards him and at the new edge of the treeline he heard a girl's voice clearly in pain. He looked down at the fight from the trees, the akatsuki was fighting a girl. Not a girl! It was Naruto! He shook his head. _No, it couldn't be Naruto. Naruto is dead. _

"Where should I hit next? Your arms, no, maybe your legs...hmmm...Or should we just end it already? No? That wouldn't be any fun." He laughed again. Naruko lifted her head and her good leg and went to stand up flashing the angriest most determined eyes Sasuke had ever seen.

"Shut up," She said pulling herself into the standing position. She was breathing hard and struggling with the pain and blood loss but she stood up straight and stared the akatsuki in the eyes.

"My my aren't you a determined one?" He mocked her. Plunging the blade into a non-vital spot in his gut, her gut. She coughed up blood but managed to remain standing. Kakashi and Saskura were now close enough they could help if they could figure out how. Everything that happened to the akatsuki happened to Naruko, how to hurt one with out the other?

"My...Name...Is...NARUKO UZUMAKI," She screamed forming another of those wind jutsu's and charging at the man. He went to stab himself again and stop her but a blast of wind knocked the blade away from his body. "REMEMBER IT!" She finished physically colliding with the man, left shoulder down in his stomach then swinging her right arm with the jutsu in it around to hit him fully in the body.

Sasuke's Sharingan could see she was dangerously low on chakra, as she fell face first on the ground. Naruko Uzumaki, there was no coincidence. She had to be related to Naruto. He wondered why he'd never heard of her before. She was clearly very strong and her strength interested him. The blast was huge and ruffled Sasuke's hair where he stood watching. The girl was either very smart or very lucky he thought as he realized she was not being affected by her own attack that was hitting the akatsuki. So he had to be in the circle for it to work.

Sakura rushed over to the girl, her hands glowing green, trying to patch her up with medical ninjutsu. _So Sakura is a medic now? _He mused to himself. Naruko was regaining signs of life as the tri-blade scythe ripped through the air. The akatsuki had lived through her attack it seemed. Naruko shoved Sakura roughly out of the way taking a deep gash to her left arm that made it hang uselessly at her side.

The akasuki's mad laughter filled the air as Naruko stood once more to face him Sakura on her butt and hands staring shocked at the scene before her. Large chunks of the mans body had been removed, he was a walking corpse. _The man can't die. _He looked down at Naruko knowing she was about to die. Without knowing why he did it, Sasuke jumped down out of his tree landing plain view.

Naruko looked dumbfounded to her left at Sasuke. _What the hell is he doing here? _Her eyes met his and they stared each other down. In the background Sakura shouted "Sasuke-kun!" But in that moment she and Sasuke were the only two people in existence. She hadn't exactly planned on meeting Sasuke in this state but she held her ground none the less as he walked towards her, the immortal akatsuki forgotten for the moment. Over the last three years she had thought about Sasuke almost as much as about Naruto. There were thousands of things she wanted to say to him and had spent hours planning it all out. The second he stood before her she forgot everything she thought she knew about Sasuke Uchiha.

The akatsuki was doing a good job of being impossible to ignore. Naruko saw anger flash in Sasuke's eyes and the red symbol and the man caught fire, black flames, "amaterasu." She heard him say. Sakura made a move to run towards the two and the flames became an uncrossable wall.

"I didn't ask for your help!" She shouted then turned her head away from him angrily.

"Hn. You would be dead right now if I hadn't. Ursuratonkatchi." He took a step closer to her.

The last thing she thought she would feel when finally meeting Sasuke, her brother's best friend and killer, was insulted. "Teme," She growled closing the distance between them and using her right hand to grab him tightly by the collar.

He smiled at the exchange, however annoying she was. She reminded him of Naruto, to much to be a coincidence. He stared into her angry blue eyes, they were exactly the same shade as Naruto's. He had thought that when Naruto had died he had severed all his bonds to the hidden leaf. He had watched Naruto die, felt his heart stop, yet here he was standing in front of him in the body of a girl.

Naruko saw the way he was looking at her. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. She felt like she should answer his unspoken question but her anger at his intrusion kept her silent. So she simply said, "I'm going to bring you back to the leaf." before finally passing out from her wounds.


	4. Chapter 4

**Kakashi** watched from the other side of the wall of black flames as Naruko grabbed Sasuke then fainted in front of him. Sasuke caught her and held her bridal style in his arms. For a minute Sasuke just stood staring at her then seemed to snap out of it and placed her gently on the ground. He looked up meeting Kakashi's eyes over the flames then dropped the barrier and melted away into the forest.

Sakura was torn, she stared at the spot Sasuke had disappeared then looked sadly back down at Naruko. She knelt down beside her and started to heal her. Naruko awoke muttering "Sas..mmm...Sakura." she said as she regained consciousness. She blinked twice then sat up straight so quickly she almost hit Sakura. "Sasuke." she said looking around for any trace of the rougue-ninja. Sakura had been on the verge of tears and Naruko's comment pushed her over the edge.

"He, he left." she sniffled.

"We have to go after him." Naruko said desperately before taking in her surroundings. Sakura and Kakashi both looked pretty badly beaten up and while she was not mortally wounded she would need more than just Sakura's emergency treatment to heal. She stood up feeling much better and stared at the trees Sasuke had escaped into. A hand grabbed her by the wrist.

"That's enough Naruko. It's time to head home." Kakashi's voice was kind but firm. She nodded accepting. _Sasuke._ She thought.

His encounter with Naruko still fresh in his mind, Sasuke entered the hideout of Oorochimaru. He threw the scroll he had retrieved to Kabuto then asked. "What do you know about the Uzumaki clan?"

"Uzumaki? Like your friend Naruto? I know a few things, why do you ask?" Kabuto responded.

"I just met one today. " He said remembering her soft blue eyes.

"That's unlikely, the whole clan was destroyed in the last great ninja war. Only a few survived."

Sasuke looked concerned at the idea of her lying about who she was and there was still a part of him that wondered if she really was Naruto in some stupid girl disguise.

"I think Sasuke is telling the truth." Came Oorochimaru's voice. "Another Uzumaki, what a treat."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows in curiosity but kept silent.

"The Uzumaki were a clan that kept the greatest sealing jutsu's, they're marked by their large chaka reserves and their bright red hair. One of our test subjects in the northern hideout is one, and there's one in the Akatsuki too." Kabuto informed him.

"Another Uzumaki," Oorochimaru repeated mulling it over in his head. "I would like to meet this Uzumaki. Will you bring them to me?" He asked Sasuke.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the request. He knew meet meant experiment on but it was to late now, Oorochimaru would have her, he was relentless. "Fine," Sasuke casually agreed. Perhaps this was best anyway, if Oorochimaru killed her then he would be free of his bonds again and get the nagging feeling of guilt he still felt over Naruto's death out of his head permanently.

Naruko, fully recovered, stood on her favorite spot a few days after arriving back in Konoha. She stood on her father's carved head watching the sunset over her village. She liked the peace she got from being able to see the whole village spread out below her and watch all the people come and go enjoying their lives.

"I knew you'd find me." She said when she felt a presence behind her.

Sasuke watched as she turned, her long blonde hair left loose swirled around her. As she turned the sunlight reflected off her hair making it shine like golden fire and for the first time in his life Sasuke felt attracted to a girl. He'd seen beautiful women before and they had never affected him, Naruto's stupid sexy-jutsu hadn't either. But despite her remarkable resemblance to Naruto's womanly guise, it was the graceful way she moved that made him want her.

Anticipating the fight she always knew was coming the wind picked up around them. She enjoyed the feel of it running through her hair and blowing it off to her right. She keenly felt the presence of her village behind her, the one she'd sworn to protect so she walked forward. She was calm and relaxed. She always knew she'd have to fight him, it was the only way. She walked right past him deliberately brushing her shoulder against his and walked into the forest.

She picked up the pace in the forest, knowing without seeing that he was following her. She led him to a nice field she had once trained with Jiraiya it was some distance from everything so she was sure no one else would get hurt. She pulled the long black ribbons she used to tie up her hair out of her pocket and adjusted her hair back into her signature pigtails, making sure to tighten her brother's leaf village headband around her head.

"Oorochimaru would like to meet you." He said staring her dead in the eyes he was surprised when she laughed out loud.

"Does he?" She mocked "What don't have the stomach to kill me too?" He said nothing but she could hear his thoughts shouting out across the field between them _Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? _

"Heh" She laughed. Taking joy in not answering his question.

"What are you laughing about?" He asked annoyed.

"I'm psyched because I know today is the day I beat you!" She said grinning.

Sasuke almost swayed on his feet at the familiar conversation. How could this girl not be Naruto? _Who are you?_

"Hn, How could you be any match for me?" He mocked though secretly in his heart he hoped she would be.

"Winner takes the other then?" She said, "I'm taking you back to the leaf!"

"Hn." He responded as she flew at him. Literally flew, The way she moved it was so quick and fluid she easily dodged his first round of attacks. It was like fighting the wind, like she was the wind. He quickly discovered her wind blades easily overcame his chidori so he switched to fire style. The wind was no match for the flames but she still managed to use it effectively to dodge his attacks.

After thoroughly testing his ninjutsu strength Naruko stopped her attack to take him in. He was breathing slightly harder than normal but so was she. His normal smirk had been replaced by a brilliant smile. He was enjoying himself it seemed. She smiled too, knowing what her brother saw in him. His strength was hard not to be attracted to and the way he fought was so natural it made everything else he did look awkward. _Next up, taijutsu._

He watched her with his sharingan, analyzing her every move. She moved differently than Naruto, he had been more blunt, clumsy almost where she was more graceful. Plus the thought of Naruto being a wind-type made him laugh. _Who are you? _

She pulled out the blades Asuma had given her. He had had them specially made for her when he found out there was another wind-type in the village. They were one of her most treasured possessions. Sasuke pulled his sword from it's scabbard in response. She charged the blades with her wind chakra while Sasuke wrapped his blade in chidori.

Knowing he was at a disadvantage Sasuke attacked first. He was compensating for the disadvantage of lightning by alternating sending fire down the bade. The first time he did her wind style had added to the flames and caught her right jacket sleeve on fire. After that she was more careful and managed to duck under his blade and score a large cut across Sasuke's right side. The fight was turning from fun to dangerous and there were still many skills he was hiding from her. So far no sign of the new sharingan or the black flames.

_Genjutsu. _The ninja art she had never been good at, the sharingans greatest strength. She felt it wash over her like a wave. She heard his voice, his inner thought _Who are you?_ Being repeated over and over by thousands of voices near her and far away. It was so loud she dropped to her knees and covered her ears trying to block out the question. Then he was in front of her. Reminding her as long as she was in his genjutsu her body was vulnerable. The voices got louder the closer he came to her, she tried to move but something held her firmly in place.

He grabbed her around the throat with his right hand cutting off the air and the voices screamed his question into her head causing excruciating pain to her ears. He formed a chidori in his left hand he was angry now, used to getting his own way her defiance drove him into a rage.

"Fine then." He shouted into her face. "Take your secret to the grave." He raised his hand aiming directly at her heart when suddenly the voices stopped and she could move. If she could have given her chakra a color it would be silver. She was like wind a moonlight.

Sasuke's eyes picked up the disturbance in her chakra that freed her from his genjutsu. In that split second he glanced into her pain filled eyes as he used his right hand in an attempt to crush her throat. He could have sworn he saw Naruto's eyes instead set in anger determined to stop him.

Time slowed down as Sasuke's hand got closer and closer to her heart, she felt blue chakra completely surround her. It was powerful chakra but it was warm like pure love and light. The chakra moved her right hand for her grabbing Sasuke's left hand at the wrist stopping it in place inches from her chest.

"SASUKEEE!" She heard a voice growl. It was a boys voice, indignant and angry. Then she felt the chakra wrap her hand tighter around Sasuke's wrist she felt as is her bones were going to be crushed but instead she felt Sasuke's bones snap beneath her fingers.

He screamed in pain and dropped his other hand from her to cradle his broken wrist. She hit the ground collapsing to her knees but the chakra pulled her back up to her feet. "NARUTO!" Sasuke screamed and at that moment she realized whose chakra it was, whose voice she had heard.

Naruto was trying to protect her like big brothers are supposed to but against Sasuke Naruto was unreasonable. He pushed her body to do more than it was capable. Sasuke was on the ropes even using his curse mark, and she didn't know how she knew that, to try to fight her off. The fight was bloody and painful. Sasuke was now fighting back like his life depended on it. Naruto's chakra was also hurting her, she just couldn't do the things his chakra was pushing her to do.

"Naruto, stop." She whispered after a set of particularly painful blows that knocked Sasuke into the ground so hard he formed a depression. She saw the pain in Sasuke's eyes, he had one eyelid shut in a wince, and couldn't believe her brother would do this to his friend even to protect her.

Sasuke heard Naruko's whisper. Two things he knew for sure now, one: this girl was not Naruto, and two: he was currently fighting Naruto.

Looking down at Sasuke's beat form below her she wanted to stop, this wasn't fun. She never wanted to hurt Sasuke, she wanted to save him. Memories that weren't hers filled her head. There was a waterfall and Sasuke, and all she wanted to do in the world is bring her friend home but he refused. So she had set her heart and decided she was going to bring him back even if she had to break every bone in his body and drag him back. She groaned trying to keep her mind in the present as the blue chakra was combining with the last reserves of her own chakra to make a giant wind-style rasen shuriken.

She was scared for Sasuke's life but she felt Naruto wrap his arms around her waist and whisper in her ear. "Trust me. Trust Sasuke." So she did and together they threw the jutsu at Sasuke where he lay on the ground.

The blast was huge and had used up of all of her chakra but a small amount enough to keep her alive. Naruto's chakra faded and she hit the ground so she was laying on her stomach her arms covering her face as the blast destroyed the entire field. Her stomach was in knots trying to believe Naruto that they hadn't just killed the person they were both trying to save.

She watched as the light from the blast receded and the the wind died down but there was still no sign of Sasuke. She grew more and more nervous until finally she saw him walk out of the crater protected by what looked like a large purple monster. Whatever it was disappeared as he walked towards her the first rays of morning light topping the mountains behind him. He continued to stagger towards her with what looked like the last of his strength before collapsing to the ground. He reached out his hand to her, she reached hers out to him their fingertips barely touching, before they both lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

** Sasuke **walked towards her, inexplicably drawn to the girl. He fell to far away, he reached out his hand towards her. He felt a jolt somewhere deep inside him in the part of his heart he tried so hard to kill when her fingers touched his. He lost consciousness.  
He was standing in a bright place, Naruto was in front of him. But not the Naruto he remembered. He looked sixteen, same age as Sasuke and he was wearing a black headband and the same jacket as Naruko.

"Sasuke" he said. "Good fight huh? Like the old days!" he said with a smile.  
"Go away Dobe. Didn't I kill you?"  
"I'm not giving up on you Sasuke. That's my ninja way." Naruto said closing the distance between them.  
"Hn. Like I care."

"Eh?! You miss me! Don't you Sasuke!" He said ruffling Sasuke's hair.

"I'll kill you again."

"Teme," Naruto said smiling. Sasuke was beginning to wake up the dream became blurry but he heard Naruto shout to him clearly. "Oy Sasuke! Don't you ever hurt my little sister again!" _Sister_, he thought rubbing his head and opening his eyes. _Naruko, Naruto's sister. Where am I?_

_ Where am I?_ Naruko awoke in the dark. Hadn't it been morning when she passed out? Her eyes adjusted, it wasn't dark she was inside. "Sas...ke" She mumbled wondering where he was, where she was.

"My how sweet, Sasuke. She seems quite fond of you." came Oorochimaru's voice.

She became aware she was being held up by iron shackles that hung from the ceiling. Her chakra was sealed somehow, she was completely cut off from it. She opened her blurry eyes to see Sasuke looking beat up and wrapped in bandages. She looked him straight in the eyes. Something in them had changed. Curiosity, anger, annoyance, all these emotions she had seen before were gone. Sasukes eyes were dead, his face a mask, he had turned his heart off. She understood that somehow her existence had become a complication in his revenge and he was going to end that complication and her life, even if indirectly. Sasuke turned to leave.

"Sasuke dislikes my little experiments. I think he finds them distasteful. You see I've been working on a little drug that heightens ones sensitivity to pain and with your clans vitality I think you might last long enough to test it." Sasuke had almost reached the door.

"Coward" she shouted completely ignoring Oorochimaru. "You're a disgrace to the Uchiha clan! Not even strong enough to finish me yourself! Not even gonna stick around to see the little pain you caused?"

"Oh it won't be a little" Kabuto said trying to fight the struggling girl to inject her with the drug. Kabuto grabbed her chin firmly in his right hand. Sasuke stood still at the doorway his back still turned, but didn't move. Kabuto managed to overpower her planting a mocking kiss on her cheek as he injected a large dose into her vein. Her anger increased, her breathing was ragged as she tried to control her hatred.

Oorochimaru licked his lips then spoke, "How do you feel?" Her head was spinning, she felt feint, disoriented. She felt the shackles cutting into her wrists, she hadn't noticed before how deep the gash was but now she could feel everything. Every small cut and abrasion left from her fight with Sasuke, she felt everything. It was like her nerves were exposed.

"Lord Oorchimaru asked you a question." Kabuto said smacking her across the face hard enough to whip her head around until it hit her left arm. She hadn't wanted to scream she didn't want to give them the satisfaction. She was Naruko Uzumaki, she was strong. Nothing could have prepared her for the pain. She screamed in agony. It was as if a hot poker had been scalded across her face, but that's not quite right because eventually a hot poker would have burned through the nerves and the pain would have subsided. Sasuke instinctively turned around at the pain evident in her scream. She would have smiled if she could have at the look of pure terror that crossed Sasuke's eyes for the split second as he was turning around to look at her. Then Sasuke was gone again, replaced by blank expressionless black eyes.

"I guess it's working," Kabuto said smiling.

"Lets try something a little stronger this time, don't you think?" Oorchimaru suggested giddily like a child with a new toy.

She kept her eyes locked on Sasuke's knowing that he was in there somewhere buried under years of pain and hatred. She was aware as Kabuto pulled out a knife came closer. She tensed battling to keep control of her body's pure terror. _This is only the start _she said to herself, _they're going to draw this out._ Against her will her eyes pleaded as they stared into Sasuke's impassive face. Her own weakness disgusted her so she mastered it and glared at Sasuke, _he is the weak one._

Kabuto's arm moved back to plunge the blade into her belly, there was a flash of red and she felt no pain as it slid into her. She watched from the side as she struggled screamed in agony. She turned to see Sasuke's red sharingan, _genjutsu. _She was hurting, screaming and fighting, but she was separate from that. She knew what was happening but it was like it wasn't happening to her.

If he had expected Naruko to be grateful he was dead wrong. She watched herself be tortured while she tried to figure out how to break the genjutsu. _I should have paid more attention when I learned about genjutsu! _Then she remembered as she watched Kabuto punch her full force on top of the knife wound, pain, pain can break genjutsu. She took a deep breath and reached out to touch her real self focusing on feeling what her body was feeling.

She shook her head and groaned as she felt the full force of the pain Sasuke had been protecting her from. She heard a small hiss of frustration that got the attention of everyone.

"Is something the matter Sasuke?" Oorochimaru asked concerned.

Naruko lifted her head smiling triumphantly at her victory. "You don't look so well Sasuke." She laughed, "Looks like someone beat the crap out of you." She taunted. Kabuto and Oorochimaru both laughed but Sasuke remained impassive. There was something about her smile that wormed it's way into Sasuke's heart. Her on eye shut in a wince was the only indication of the extreme pain she was in. He noticed the way her golden hair fell over one shoulder and stuck to her sweat covered cheek and the rise and fall of her breasts as she struggled to breathe. He hated her more the more he liked her and he didn't know if he would be strong enough to kill his heart again.

Sasuke calmly walked close enough to reach out and touch her, then lit his hand with chidori and placed it gently against her heart. There was something intimate about the moment as the lightning wrapped around her entire body causing indescribable pain because what she saw in Sasuke's eyes was respect. However painful, he was acknowledging her strength. She held onto that thought and managed to keep her teeth clenched but she couldn't control the scream that itself ripped her vocal chords to threads.

Their eyes stayed locked on the others as she felt her body quickly giving out, her brain overloaded by the pain. She winced trying to hold onto her senses but felt herself slipping slowly into blackness. A small smile played on Sasuke's lips as her eyes closed.

"What did you do that for? We weren't done with her." Kabuto said to Sasuke like he was admonishing a disobedient child.

Sasuke shrugged. "She was annoying me," He said turning to Oorochimaru. He left the room closing the door behind him.

"You know Sasuke, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you had a soft spot for that girl." Oorochimaru said alone with Sasuke later that day. Oorchimaru was sick and in bed, he would be needing his new body soon. Sasuke said nothing but his glare clearly threatened death. "It's a good thing I sent Kabuto after you. It seems you had some trouble collecting her." He chuckled merrily looking at Sasuke's bandages.

Now was his time. Sasuke was done with his training. He sent a chidori blade through Oorchimaru's arms pinning them in place. "Now you'll see that I can be heartless." He said dangerously. "I'm stronger than you now so I see no reason to hand over my body." His hatred of Oorochimaru that had been building up for years made Sasuke cold and deadly. Somewhere so deep down Sasuke wasn't aware of it himself, Sasuke wanted him dead for the torture he put Naruko through. "You disgust me!"

The battle between Sasuke and Oorchimaru had begun. Sasuke was strong using his sword and his curse-mark to get he upper hand. When Sasuke was victorious he simply walked past Kabuto using his sharingan to show him how he had absorbed his master.

Sasuke stood staring at her. She was unconscious her head hanging forward resting on her chest, one pigtail over her shoulder, hanging from her wrists from the ceiling. There was no question, she was beautiful. She was strong and fierce, a girl he could have loved in his old life before he had left the village. He was no longer that boy and her life, like Naruto's, stood between him and his revenge. He drew his sword deciding on what to do and swung.


	6. Chapter 6

**Naruko** opened her eyes into Sasuke's shoulder. They were moving, he was carrying her. The chakra seals were gone. When she finally became aware of her surroundings she angrily punched Sasuke hard in the sternum causing him to drop her. She twisted in the air landing lightly on her feet watching as he did the same landing within arms reach of her.

_So he saved me,_ She thought, _why is he so close?_ His closeness bothered her not from the implied threat, but the way her body was reacting was throwing her off. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she kept imagining what it would feel like to have him step closer to her. She was still scratched up but she guessed Kabuto had healed her wounds to keep her alive. She didn't know what to say so she just stared at Sasuke the silence stretching on forever.

"Why?" She finally said croaking a little due to her hurt vocal chords but needing to know the answer, "Why did you save me?"

He looked like he was about to open his mouth so she grabbed the front of his shirt pulling him so close she could feel his breath on her face. "Don't lie to me," She said in a whisper that was almost a growl. Sasuke turned his face away from hers breaking the eye contact and causing his cheek to rub against her nose as he moved.

He took a deep breath then shut his eyes as if he himself didn't know the answer. Then came something that shocked her to her core. "For Naruto." She let him go taking a step backwards.

"So what you think saving me somehow makes up for the fact that you killed him?!" She thew her arm out to the side in a dramatic angry gesture. She pulled her hand into a fist. "You think this makes it alright? You killed him! You killed your best friend! You killed my brother!" She screamed her damaged voice giving out.

"I'm," He started. In her anger Naruko didn't want to hear his apology so she pulled her fist back to hit him. He caught her fist in his hand gabbing the other as she went to try again. He pulled her hands together in his to the center of his chest not allowing her to pull away no matter how much she struggled. "I am sorry." He said trying to make her look in his expressionate eyes.

She continued to struggle until she saw the single tear trail down his cheek. _So there is a part of him that's human. This is the real Sasuke. _She opened her mouth to say something but she had lost her ability to talk. Acting on impulse she listened to her body, placing her lips lightly on his.

Sasuke had never been kissed by a girl before, and never been kissed at all on purpose. It took his mind a while to register what was happening as he had been consumed by the grief and self loathing and regret he had buried deep inside his heart at the loss of Naruto. For this moment he was the old Sasuke, the one who loved Naruto, the one who wanted to live a happy life with his friends. All of who he used to be was still inside of him.

He let go of her hands wrapping his arms around the small of her back pulling her body close flush against his. She opened her mouth deepening the kiss as she tangled her fingers in his silky black hair._ Maybe it's ok, for just this moment to believe in him_, she thought. _Maybe it's ok, for just this moment to remember_. He thought.

The kiss went on their hands drifting lightly around the others body reveling in the bond they had in their hearts. She was everything he never knew he wanted, he was everything she wanted to protect. There was a terrifying moment when he pulled back to breathe grabbing her on her upper arms and pushing her back away from him when she thought it was over. She scanned his eyes grabbing his arms back fearing he would run away.

"Naruko," It was the first time he had said her name and it felt good on his lips.

The way he said her name full of desire and kindness was like music to her ears. Then he was kissing her again. It was like he was trying to convey every feeling he'd tried to bury to her all at once through one kiss. He loved Naruto and missed him, he missed the old Sasuke too. He had to kill his heart to be strong enough to defeat Itachi, he had to go after him now. He didn't care if he died. She couldn't come with him, but he wasn't going to kill her.

He was gentle and tender and moved one hand to cup her chin. His thumb began stroking her neck then became more firm and dug into the underside of her chin moving her head back to stare him straight in his sharingan eyes.

The genjustu he put her under was both a distraction and a final gift to her while he left to go avenge his clan against his brother. She saw her brother, young and in the ninja academy. She watched as he grew up through Sasuke's eyes. He had shared all of his memories with her. She watched the rivalry begin, watched as her brother became Sasuke's first kiss, watched the moment they became team 7.

There was a part of her who wanted to go after Sasuke but that part was smaller than her overwhelming desire to watch her brother's life. She watched as they became friends, watched Sasuke save his life, watched the chunin exams, the battle with Gaara and Sasuke's battle with his older brother. She took in every detail of Itachi's face as the memories became more detailed. Now she could not only see what was happening she could feel what Sasuke was feeling. The hatred, the sadness, the desire, the pain all of it tore through her like it was her own.

She felt Sasuke's heartbreak as Itachi's tsukuyomi ripped through his/her mind forcing her/him to see his older brother slaughter his entire clan. She wanted to close her eyes against the violent images as Sasuke's terror consumed her but she continued to watch. Sasuke showed her this for a reason and she knew what it was when she saw him open his eyes in the hospital to see Naruto in front of him. She felt as his need for strength consumed him/her and watched as her brother fought him on the roof. She stood in Sasuke's room as he turned down the photo and left, she watched as Sakura begged him not to go, She watched as Naruto stopped him on the top of a waterfall.

She had seen this memory before from Naruto's perspective but Sasuke's was quite different. She had felt Naruto's heart break during the fight but Sasuke's was ripping itself to shreds. It was the most painful thing she had ever felt. She saw her brother's loving eyes stare into hers/his, she saw the nine-tails relentless attack, she felt the darkness of the curse mark consume her/Sasuke. She felt the furry of her/Sasuke's chidori colliding with Naruto's rasengan. She felt her hand become covered in warm blood as she/he stopped Naruto's heart.

She felt the guilt, the loss, the sadness of Sasuke as he looked down at Naruto's dead body. She felt the terror as she realized what she/Sasuke had done. She felt the guilt, the pain, everything. She felt as Sasuke's/her heart died with Naruto. The visions stopped as Sasuke left Naruto's body in the final valley.

She collapsed to the ground in the forest and cried until she had no more tears. She was happy to have seen her brother's life, he was strong and happy and loud and obnoxious. But watching and feeling her brothers death scarred her heart. She desperately wished she didn't and felt she was somehow betraying her brother by thinking it, but she forgave Sasuke for his death. She understood him, she understood everything.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and from the feel of his chakra knew who it was.

"Naruto" She said looking up into her brothers smiling face. He squatted down next to her wiping the tears off her cheeks. "How?"

"We're twins remember?" he laughed at her. "I'm here," he pointed to her heart.

She threw herself into his arms crying. He held her tightly like he'd never let go.

"It's ok, you know, to forgive Sasuke." He said causing her to push back and see in his eyes he was serious. "I see why you like him." He said blushing scarlet, "But the kissing thing?! AHHHH! No kissing until you're married!" He yelled causing her to laugh and blush in happiness.

"Big brother," She started, making sure he had put his serious face back on, "I love you!"

"I love you too, Naruko." and with that he kissed her on the forehead and disappeared with a bright light.

Naruko picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her pants. She closed her eyes and concentrated, thinking only of Sasuke. From the previous darkness of her mind she saw Sasuke's chakra and opened her eyes heading towards it.


	7. Chapter 7

**"****NARUKO!" **She heard someone shout. She looked down stopping in her tracks. Sakura and Kakashi were heading straight towards her.

She scanned their worried faces wondering how long she had been missing. What do I do? She thought looking in the direction of Sasuke. She closed her eyes thinking. She remembered the feel of his lips on hers. She remembered her heart beating faster like it only beat for him. The taste of his breath, the smell of his sweat, the sound of his voice saying her name every memory burned into her brain eternally.

If she could just somehow lose Kakashi and Sakura she could go after him. She could help him find his brother, help him find his heart, bring him back home. If only she could get away. She made her decision landing lightly on the ground next to the two ninja. She liked Sasuke, she loved her brother and these were his comrades.

"Are you hurt?" Sakura asked. Naruko shook her head no causing Sakura to hit her over the head. "What were you thinking?! Where did you go? What happened?" She cleared her throat testing to see if her voice had recovered any. It hadn't and the attempt hurt enough to cause her to lift her right hand to her throat massaging it hoping the pain would recede. Sakura seemed to get the idea using her medic skills to get Naruko talking again.

"Thanks." Naruko said quietly glad to hear the sound of her own voice.

"What happened?" Sakura repeated.

"I..." She ran her hand through her hair messing it up. "I guess I got a little lost." She said trying to sound dumb.

"Naruko," came Kakashi's threatening voice. It was clear he would accept nothing less than the truth.

She sighed looking at the ground. "Sasuke came to see me." She started hoping this was the kind of answer Kakashi wanted. She continued, "We fought." Kakashi nodded as if they'd already figured that part out though Sakura's lip started to quiver. "Someone followed him, took me back with them. I just got out." She said leaving out several rather key details.

Kakashi scanned her with a look that meant he knew there was more to the story but he looked over at Saskura and sighed accepting. Sakura looked like she was wanting to cry. The loss of Sasuke twice in so short a time was driving her to despair. "Is Sasuke-kun...Is he.. ok?" Naruko just nodded not knowing what to say.

Sasuke was fine, physically but mentally? Naruko thought of his cold dead eyes. The hatred in Sasuke still scared her. Most of all the idea of hurting, none the less killing, your older brother regardless of what he did was so wrong in Naruko's mind it made her almost sick just thinking about it.

"We have to find Itachi before he does." She declared wildly.

"It will take more than just us to do that." Kakashi stated frankly. Naruko spared one last look in Sasuke's direction before turning back towards the leaf village.

It became quickly clear that something was not right ahead of them. There was a loud roar and screams ahead. Naruko rushed in ignoring advice to the contrary what she saw temporarily freezing her in place. Kyuubi.

"You" The Kyuubi roared recognizing her.

"You're... You're back!" She yelled happily feeling like she had found another link to her family.

The kyuubi was shocked temporarily by her joy at seeing him since it was his intention to kill her.

Naruko felt a warm glow as chains poured out of her body tying the fox demon down. Somewhere deep inside of her she felt her mother's presence. Naruko followed her heart and ran at the demon getting in close to his face.

"Stop!" She yelled at him as he struggled and roared at her. "Just shut up and let me help you!" She chastised him. Shocked by her odd statement the kyuubi quieted down. "Thank you." She replied politely getting the fox demons full attention. "You're in danger out here on your own. There's a group called the Akatsuki, they're after the tailed beasts. Please let us protect you!"

Kurama laughed a deep dark laugh. "Protect me? Stupid human! Do I look like I need protecting?" His laugh was silenced when a masked member of the Akatsuki appeared. "Those eyes." He said noticing the sharingan visible through a hole in the mask.

Naruko looked from the kyuubi to the Akatsuki and made a dangerous decision. She released the chains on the kyuubi leaving him free to attack her at will.

"Kyuubi," The masked Akatsuki said holding up his hand throwing out a purple chain.

"Stay away from him!" Naruko shouted hurling a rasen-shuriken at the man. It just passed right through him. Kakashi used his sharingan to suck the shuriken away to keep it from hitting the kyuubi. While Naruko went in for a frontal attack with her chakra blades. The Akatsuki was damaged severely as Naruko slipped through him as if hit by the wind attack causing the purple chain to fail to reach it's target.

"Kyuubi!" She shouted "Run! We'll hold him off here!" She looked over her shoulder waving him away.

"You're just like him." He replied making a small resigned growl. "Come here, bump fist's with me."

Making sure the Akatsuki still hadn't recovered completely, she turned around to look at him waving her arms about wildly, "Are you CRAZY?! Can't you see we're in the middle of a fight!"

"COME HERE!" It was clearly not a request. Naruko ran over to him holding up her hand. "If we do this, we're stuck as partners. Together for life." He informed her.

"Right! Yeah, if it will keep you safe!" She agreed quickly. They bumped fists merging their chakra together. Naruko became the jinchuriki of the nine-tails.

The masked Akatsuki stared at the spot where the kyuubi disappeared from then turned to look at Naruko deciding he had taken enough damage in a lost cause and said, "I'll be back for you jinchuriki." as he disappeared into his own eye.

The masked Akatsuki quickly went about summoning the remaining members. He sent Deidara and his partner Sasori after the one tails currently protected by Gaara, the Kazekage, then the two tails, Pein would get the three, five, six and seven tails due to his six bodies and Konan by his side, Kisame after the four tails, Itachi after the nine tails leaving Tobi to get the eight tails. The group quickly dispersed after the meeting and set about capturing the jinchuriki and taking the tailed beasts.

One their way to the sand village Deidara and Sasori found Sasuke first. They fought, Deidara's hatred of Itachi and his anger over Sasuke's killing of Oorochimaru driving him, Sasuke fighting for information on the location of his hated older brother. After a vicious battle, explosives vs Sasuke's chidori and curse mark, Deidara was dead nearly taking Sasuke with him.

Sasori continued on to the sand village alone while Sasuke took some time to recover. Luckily Deidara's big mouth had revealed to Sasuke that Itachi was headed to the leaf village to find the nine-tails jinchuriki, Naruko. Sasuke switched directions heading towards his old village. The only thing on his mind was hope that he would make it to her before his brother.

He found her a few miles away from the village with Kakashi and Sakura. _Good, I made it first. _Sasuke's plan was simple, capture and hold Naruko and his brother would come right to him.

Naruko quickly scanned the trees, she felt as though she was being watched. Now that she had the nine-tails she knew the whole Akatsuki would be after her. She glanced back towards Sakura and Kakashi who were looking a little worn from their battle with the nine-tails and the masked Akatsuki and distracted. She calmly stepped into the shadows of the trees knowing something important was about to happen.

He stepped into her view knowing she wasn't the type to call out for help.

"Sasuke," she said. He had forgotten how good his name sounded on her lips.

She didn't smile but thought hard, "Itachi is the one who's after me" She said finally putting the pieces together.

"Naruko," His voice came out soft, almost pleading, not at all the way he had intended.

"We have to lead him away from the village." She said her hand twitching as if she had intended to grab his. He nodded turning from her and heading towards the Uchiha compound knowing she would follow.

As they entered the compound Sasuke lost control of himself and reached back for her hand, leading her inside. She took in the view, the building was dirty and disused. She blushed finally realizing Sasuke was still holding her hand.

"Now we wait," He said squeezing her hand a little.

"Now we wait," She repeated taking a step closer to him.

She was so close, so close Sasuke's mind stopped working properly. _What does it matter anyway? We may both be dead in a few hours anyway. _He reasoned with himself as he released her hand wrapping his arms around her and placing his lips on hers. He felt himself growing hard as she tangled her hands in his hair arching her back so their hips ground against each other. _It doesn't have to mean anything_, he thought, _It's just physical. _

He pulled his lips away from hers leaving her out of breath. She felt his hands grab her hips so firmly his fingers dug into her sides. His mouth was then kissing the line of her jaw, drifting down her neck to land just over her throbbing pulse as her heart beat quickly.

He felt her pulse through his lips, the beating of her heart. It turned him on, drove him crazy, her life was enchanting to him. He bit down on her neck in that spot hard causing her to moan and pull him tighter towards her with her arms. _It could take Itachi hours to get here_. He thought pulling away from her, his hands drifting to her jacket zipper.

She was nervous but stayed still as Sasuke unzipped her jacket and pushed it off her shoulders. She felt exposed as he kissed the rise of her breast as his hands moved to pull her arms out of the jacket.

When he repositioned his hands on the jacket he felt something hard and metal in the breast pocket. He finished getting it off her then pulled it towards him, going to find out what it was she kept so close to her heart.

She made a move as if to grab the jacket back but Sasuke stopped her with a glare. He reached in and pulled out his own leaf village headband. She shook a little unsure of how he would react. Her heart almost stopped as she saw a tear fall from Sasuke's eye to land on the metal.

The headband brought so much back to him, the scratch through the leaf was the last thing Naruto ever did. He killed her brother and yet she wrapped her arms around him pulling him close. Her hands moved over his body trying to distract him from the past and his regret.

She hooked her fingers under the waistband of his pants running them over him. She untied the purple belt releasing his outer layers of clothing so he stood in nothing but his pants, sandals and a very loose flowing white top over his shoulders. She felt him shudder under her touch as her hands brushed off his top slowly dragging them down over his pecks and abs.

His eyes were dry now his only desire to be closer to the woman in front of him. He hooked his fingers around the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off over her head leaving her in just her bra and pants. Her eyes screamed her desire. His hands reached under her butt lifting her up to wrap her legs around his middle her arms holding onto his shoulders. She felt his erection grind against her as he kissed her deeply one hand moving to pull the ribbons out of her hair. He dropped to his knees taking her with him without breaking the kiss where their tongues fought for dominance in the others mouth. He ran his fingers through her long golden hair grabbing a fist full and moving her head into his kiss.

With her feet on the floor she began to move her hips over him at the same tempo as their tongues. When he couldn't take her undulating hips anymore he released her hair flattening his palm to cradle her head, placed the other on her lower back and slowly lowered her to the floor not breaking their kiss. When she was beneath him his right hand moved to rest on her belly. He felt her erratic breathing and her hips buck beneath him under his hand causing him to slide it down her pants.

She pulled her mouth from his as she became distracted by his fingers on her opening. He pulled her bra down exposing her nipple which he took in his mouth. He sucked hard causing her back to arch letting his two fingers slide easily into her. She let out a little gasp as he entered her that turned him on so badly he didn't know if he could wait any longer. He stretched her out knowing that it was her first time.

He bit her nipple and slid a third finger in pushing them in and out of her. She wanted him in her so badly she couldn't control her lips, she pulled his head away from her breast with her hand in his hair so he would look her directly in the eye. "Please," She begged.

She sighed as he pulled his fingers from her pulling her pants off in one swift movement. He was glad she hadn't tried to touch his erection yet, as it was he was having trouble keeping from cumming just at the sight of her begging for him. He pulled down his pants just far enough to expose his penis. He watched her eyes widen as she took the view of him in and when she licked her lips he couldn't take it anymore and just slammed himself deep inside of her.

She made a noise of pain mixed with pleasure then began running her hands up his sides pulling him closer down on top of her body. He laid his bare chest against hers kissing her deeply as he started to move inside of her, slowly at first then harder till he felt something break inside of her. Her nails dug into his back but she made no other indication of pain so he continued his slow movements.

She could hear him trying to control his breathing and she felt his body sweating beneath her fingers. His mouth stayed on hers but his tongue stopped moving as he focused on his hips. He began to thrust into her deeper until he hit something amazing. It was the best feeling she'd ever felt and she arched her back guiding him into that spot with each thrust after. She could feel the pleasure building inside of her and she forgot everything but the feeling of that spot every time he drove himself into it.

He began to speed up feeling his orgasm coming and trying so that they came together. He hit her as deeply as he could as fast as he could. Finally releasing his seed inside of her panting out of breath.

She forgot how to breathe as she came beneath him. She had never felt anything so amazing before. The smell of their sweat mixed together with the smell of sex leaving her wishing for more. She felt him twitching inside of her with the strength of his own orgasm. She moaned a little as he pulled out of her, quickly trying to get dressed not sure what to think about what they had just done.

He was still Sasuke and he was still going to kill Itachi. This changed nothing he would still kill her if she got in his way. She lay down on the floor fully dressed, though she left her jacket unzipped, and was surprised when he lay next to her pulling her close to him. She felt safe, protected, and drifted off to sleep in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**When Naruko** awoke she was alone and the Sasuke of before had been replaced by the one with cold hatred filled eyes. He stood sentry staring at the doorway ready to fulfill his revenge. Naruko stood forgotten, just the bait in the trap. She left her jacket unzipped feeling Sasuke had tucked his head band back into her inner pocket. It meant the same thing as before when he turned the picture down, that Sasuke was dead only hatred remained. She looked at the door, wondering what she was doing there, at this point it was clear the brothers would fight regardless of her presence.

Itachi entered. "So you've come." Sasuke said with a deadly chill in his voice. He was cold now, so cold Naruko hardly recognized him.

"You've gotten a bit taller." Itachi commented.

"And you haven't changed even a little, still have those cold eyes." But at that moment Naruko disagreed, Itachi's eyes were cold and unfeeling but Sasuke's eyes drove a chill down her spine that made her instinctively take a step away from him even if that meant getting closer to Itachi. At her movement Itachi's eyes turned to her. She stared him full in the eyes, sharingan. She wanted him to know she wasn't scared. Her eyes challenged Itachi as he took in her full appearance, she could almost see the thoughts whirling around in his head as he sized her up.

Itachi made no comment only turned back to his brother. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest she missed their next exchange.

"You have no idea how much hatred I carry for you in my heart." Sasuke said running a chidori through his brother. It was only a genjutsu illusion disappearing in a flock of birds.

"My foolish little brother," came Itachi's low taunting voice from behind them.

Naruko watched and listened as the battle begun. It was a sharingan genjutsu battle she had no idea what was happening. She saw the kyuubi inside of her. He sat in room inside of her filled with lush pillows and a high open ceiling curled up like a cat. Seems he put a few comforts into his own seal she chuckled to herself.

"Why did you call me?" She questioned. He lifted his head sending a loud roar in her direction snapping her back to reality only now she could see inside of the genjutsu. She sent a silent 'thank you' to the kyuubi who just shut his eyes and ignored her.

Itachi was smart and cruel and taunting and she watched as Sasuke became riled up and angry. She took a step closer drawn in as the conversation turned to Naruto.

"Nice eyes," Itachi said noticing Sasuke's mangekyo sharingan. "So, you did it. You killed your best friend." Naruko froze rooted to the spot as Itachi's eyes traveled over her once more then turned back to Sasuke.

There was something in Itachi's eyes as he had looked at her. Something she couldn't quite place. She turned it around and around in her head as Itachi explained the secrets of their eyes and their clan, but she couldn't stop thinking of Itachi's eyes.

She melted into the shadows, forgotten, as inconsequential as a fly on the wall. Sasuke and Itachi fought beautify. They were as deadly as they were graceful, a perfect pair. Sasuke was strong, using much more of his abilities than he had against her. This was the battle he had been saving himself for all his life.

Itachi gained the upper hand pinning Sasuke against the cold stone wall. Sasuke's eyes filled with pure terror as Itachi reached for them. It was in that moment, when Sasuke screamed and her heart stopped in her chest, that she realized she loved him. She couldn't bear to see him hurt, It was like a burning dagger twisted into her heart. If it hadn't been genjutsu she would have had a hard time keeping from intervening.

She relaxed, finally allowing herself to breathe again, as Sasuke broke the tsukuyomi and everyone returned to reality for good. The look in Itachi's eyes earlier still haunted her but she still couldn't place the emotion she read, until she saw Itachi injured by one of Sasuke's shuriken. Itachi was stronger and faster than that she was sure, but he was hit anyway. That was when she knew something wasn't right, allowing her to realize the look Itachi had given her was one of compassion.

The battle moved through the ceiling to the roof but she stayed put. The battle was terrifying to watch. Sasuke seemed so small, so vulnerable. Her heart was in her throat as she watched trying not to intervene. She made a move as Sasuke was hit by amaterasu but felt her brother's comforting chakra hold her in place.

Sasuke was safe back in the original room with her preparing for a final attack. She was watching Sasuke until she felt her brothers hand tilt her chin up to look at Itachi who was coughing up blood despite not having been hit. She knotted her eyebrows together trying to figure out what it all meant.

The roof collapsed from Sasuke's jutsu leaving her open to Itachi's sight. As she watched his eye travel over her then back to Sasuke she finally figured it out. The nagging feeling of wrongness since the beginning, all of it. It was Sasuke who wanted this fight, Sasuke who wanted revenge. Itachi was supposed to be here to capture her but since the very first second Itachi had focused all of his energy on Sasuke.

Itachi was sick, coughing up blood and he wanted Sasuke...he **wanted** Sasuke to kill him. The compassion in his eyes was the truth. All of it, all of it was done for Sasuke. Itachi saw the shock and realization in her eyes and narrowed his at her in anger. As Sasuke released his ultimate jutsu, Kirin, directing it at a weakened Itachi, Naruko moved. She jumped and used the wind to land in front of Itachi prepared to protect him with her life.

She felt Itachi's arm around her waist, strong but gentle, pulling her tight against his chest. She could feel him wrap around her, protecting her with his body. The lightning struck like a bomb blast and tore the entire complex to shreds. It nipped and bit and tore her clothes but she remained safe protected under Itachi. She felt Itachi's hand brush her throat and she before she felt the sharp metal of the kunai press down onto the skin covering her carotid artery.

She was Itachi's hostage now. She heard Sasuke's scream of frustration. The anguish, suffering, and pain so clearly evident Naruko flinched away from the sound, leaning back into Itachi. She could almost feel through her back his heart contract in his chest at the sound his brother was making.

Sasuke was out of chakra, she was useless as a hostage but Itachi had to keep her from exposing his secret. Sasuke reached for chakra he didn't have, releasing Oorochimaru. Itachi used his Susanoo to seal him away and pull him from his younger brother.

She felt Itachi behind her begin to cough up more blood, he was dieing. She tried to turn around to help him but he grabbed her arm twisting it so tightly behind her back that it broke, digging the blade a little deeper into the skin of her neck releasing a small trickle of blood.

Sasuke came closer, denial and despair spreading across his face. She wanted to tell him, he had to know. Big brothers love their siblings she was sure of it, Itachi had to tell him.

"You can't kill her," Sasuke croaked. "The Akatsuki want the nine-tails." He said hoping it was true.

"Foolish little brother." He tightened the blade painfully causing her to wince and try to move her head back away from the blade but it was pinned firmly against Itachi's shoulder.

"STOP!" Sasuke pleaded and Naruko opened her bright blue eyes to stare into his. She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest trying to make the most of it's last beats. She felt her pulse in her neck beating against the cold steel in the spot Sasuke had kissed earlier and the warmth of Itachi's body behind her.

Sasuke dropped to his knees in front them. She had never seen anyone so defeated, She wanted to hold him, save him, protect him but she couldn't move.

"You can have them!" He shouted to Itachi tears welling up but not spilling over. "You can take my eyes, just... just let her go." He never took her eyes of her. If this was truly his last moments of sight he wanted to memorize every sparkle in her eyes, every curve on her face.

Itachi's arms loosened around her until he let go completely. She took a step out of the way feeling Itachi's love for Sasuke through their contact. Sasuke reached his own hand up as if to pull out his own eye but was stopped by Itachi's hand. "You've gotten strong." Itachi said for the third time that day then activated his sharingan to show Sasuke the truth of his life and lies.

He learned of the coup of his clan, of Itachi's mission, of Itachi's love for him. It was almost to much to take.

Itachi collapsed when the jutsu was released, Sasuke caught and held him his whole body shaking. "No," Sasuke said wide eyed in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Sasuke. I treated you as a child, but now I see," He looked at Naruko then back, "I was wrong about you."

"Itachi,"

"There's on last thing I have to say. Sasuke, no matter what I will always love you." Itachi's eyes closed as he died in Sasuke's arms.

Naruko stood looking down at the brothers holding her broken arm as the kyuubi's chakra healed it, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her heart ached at Sasuke's pain and even more at memories of her own brothers death.

Sasuke turned his head to the sky and screamed. It was the sound of ultimate despair. All this time he had hated while his brother loved him. He had killed Naruto for nothing, for the power to kill his older brother who was willing to die to protect the village from his own clan.

He wasn't breathing right, He was going to hyperventilate. The look in his eyes, the confusion, the denial , the fear, tore at her soul but Naruko didn't move. Sasuke was broken, his mind was ripping itself apart. He screamed until his voice broke and the tears spilled out onto his cheeks. Itachi loved him. This changed everything.

**Authors note:** So I'm completely torn, I watched a seriously romantic movie the other night but then one of them died in the end and it was tragic but still really powerful. So my question to you is how do you want this to end? I'm so torn! Let me know ASAP so I can update. Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

**Her long** blonde hair floated on the wind as Naruko watched Sasuke suffer unbearable agony. She was completely useless, understanding his pain only made her heart ache worse. She watched as Sasuke Uchiha died in front of her eyes. His dead heart twisted, converting every scrap of love in his heart to hatred.

Eventually Sasuke laid his brother down and stood up wiping his tears with one arm to reveal his mangekyo sharingan. He just stared at her. He was colder than before, his gaze pierced her painfully making her blood run cold. He hated her. She could feel it radiating from him and crashing into her in waves so powerful they threatened to knock her down.

"I'm going to destroy the Hidden Leaf" He said calmly.

She closed her eyes and took a minute to compose herself knowing he couldn't have said anything else. "I understand." She said hardening her resolve as her heart was torn in two inside her chest.

"Naruto," He said. "I told you before you couldn't possibly understand me, so keep your mouth shut!" He yelled.

Naruko paused at the use of her brother's name she narrowed her eyes unsure if it was a mere slip of a heartbroken man or if he meant something more by it, something deeper. "Sasuke," she lowered her voice so it was deep like a growl, "I swear I'll save you."

He shouted back like a madman, "I'm going to kill you and destroy the Hidden Leaf!" He was beat up and exhausted looking but still managed to form a chidori in his left hand.

She formed a rasengan remaining still until her ran at her. She attacked back their eyes meeting over the blast. For that second the light from the attacks illuminated the sadness in his eyes, the love that caused the hate. Then she was flying backwards through the air. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him helping her land on her feet, Kakashi.

The masked Akatsuki arrived in time to grab Sasuke, roughly handling him and dumping him on his feet. Sasuke clearly had no more energy to fight his chakra was all used up and he was breathing with difficulty.

She felt nothing. Her world has just ended. She had been so close but he had been ripped away from her. She couldn't hear, she couldn't see anything but his cold eyes. The only things in all of existence were her and Sasuke, there was nothing else.

"If you attack Konoha I will have to fight you. Save all of your hatred until then and then throw all of it at me. The only one who can handle your hatred is me." He glared at her. "You know it, right? If you and I fight Sasuke, we will both die."

"Why? Why would you go so far for me?!" He shouted at her.

"Because I love you." She said simply, happily like she was pointing out the obvious.

There was a silence that seemed to drag on forever. Her words seemed to hit him like a physical blow. He let a out a low "Hn" with a hint of a smile and said "Fine then, I'll kill you first." Then he left with the masked Akatsuki, Itachi's body in his arms.

((**Authors note**:: We're doing some fast forwarding here so please bear with me I can't cover the entire manga in one little story plus I don't know about you but I seriously HATE recaps of stuff from the show so...))

Naruko returns to the hidden leaf. Jiraiya is dead, Naruko learns sage mode. Pein attacks the hidden leaf, Naruko defeats all 6 bodies and talks Nagato into using his rinne-rebirth and becoming a better guy. Sasuke gets his brothers eyes implanted since he was getting fuzzy vision. Gaara defeats Sassori keeping his one-tail but the other tailed beasts were collected. Danzo goes to the kage summit and is killed by Sasuke who is testing out his new eyes. "Madara" the masked Akatsuki declares war on the five great nations in order to get the last two bijuu.

"I want to fight!" Silence met her words. "Damn it Gaara! We can fight!"

"Naruko, calm down. Think rationally, if they take the bijuu from us we would condemn the entire world!"

"How many people will die to protect your precious rationality? We can save them Gaara, fight with me!"

He studied her. She was passionate, and strong and loud, Naruto's sister through and through. The way she talked, it made him believe that she really could do it. Like one girl against an army could save the world. He smiled to himself, "Alright."

Her smile lit up almost blinding him, she was beautiful. "Let's go!" She said holding her hand out for his. Her hand closed around his sending sparks flying through his body like he was being electrified. The feeling faded into a warm glow emanating throughout his body radiating from the point of contact.

They easily broke the barriers that had been set up to keep them "safe" and locked away. When she took his hand again Gaara felt the urge to kiss her, but he resisted. They ran together headed toward the front lines headed to save the world.

Sasuke found them first. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him and she dropped Gaara's hand.

His sharingan saw everything including her hand wrapped around Gaara's. His eyes narrowed _of course she doesn't love me. She was just saying it to save her own life. _

"Gaara, Go. Please," She turned to him the raw emotion swirling in her eyes shocking him, "Save our friends. Save everyone." The last time Gaara had seen Sasuke was at the Kage summit. Sasuke had said then that he no longer wanted the light, only darkness. Looking from Naruko to Sasuke was looking at darkness and light set to fight. "Don't worry," She smiled a deep happy smile that permeated every cell in her body.

When she smiled he believed her, trusted her. She turned to Sasuke and he knew how deeply she loved Sasuke. She didn't want to save Sasuke out of some duty to her dead brother, it was something she wanted deep in her own heart. This time he did grab her and pull her close pressing his lips gently against hers. He could feel her body stiffen in shock beneath his hands. He looked from her to Sasuke, "Meet you on the front lines." He said then left.

She wanted to say something, anything to end the silence as they stared at each other, but her mouth was dry. So she just looked at him, loving him and hating him. The time for words was over but she still refused to make the first move.

The wind picked up rustling her hair and causing it to flow around her. Sasuke hated her, hated how badly he wanted her in that moment, hated how beautiful she looked. So the fight began.

He looked terrifying with his susano'o surrounding him. They had just been playing around their last fight now everything was at stake. He started out hard firing a bolt from his beast's crossbow. She jumped high in the air riding the wind. The kyuubi gave her his chakra and she lit up like molten fire.

As the fight heated up she released an angry Kurama to fight with her. Their tailed-beast bomb leveled the scene and did some serious damage to Sasuke, though his susano'o protected him from the worst of it. The combination didn't last long though they could only keep it up for a bout 5 minutes then she was alone again with seriously depleted chakra. Sasuke took advantage of the moment sending amaterasu at her so she turned but was to slow.

The bolt fired from Sasuke's susano'o pierced though her left shoulder knocking her backwards with the force of the blow, pinning her to the ground. She put both hands on the thick bolt attempting to pull it out of her but it was to deep, it went through skin muscle and shattered bone right into the hard earth below her, she was trapped. She turned to glare defiantly at Sasuke only to see the second bolt fired that pierced her right shoulder. She was pinned to the ground, helpless as he approached slowly dropping his susano'o.

He stood over her, his suppressed emotion tugging on the corners of his eyes. Even in that second when their eyes locked and she knew he was about to kill her, she loved him. All she wanted was for him to smile happily, just once, an expression she'd never seen before on his face. _I_ _can't let him kill me. _She thought._ He could never live with himself if he does. _

His eyes widened at the expression in her eyes. Love. She was pure love, from the very second he met her she had been pure light to his darkness. She had forgiven and redeemed him before she even met him. He tilted his head to the sky feeling the wind blow his hair around his face that was lit by the pale moonlight.

He looked down into her eyes and in that moment he wasn't alone. His heart ached for everything he'd lost. His mother, father, entire clan, Itachi, Naruto all lost forever. His body shook, he hated the village, hated the world, and hated the love in her damn eyes. Her eyes mocked his pain.

This was his revenge for Naruto and Itachi, even though he knew they would never understand. The village caused so much pain and heart ache it shouldn't be allowed to stand. In front of him was just a stupid stubborn girl who couldn't see the village she was protecting had killed both of their families. They were alone and suffering because of that village and she was willing to defend with her life. She deserved to die to if she was to stupid to see the truth.

She had lost everything too and yet she lay there on the ground willing to die for a broken village. He dropped to his knees straddling her grabbing her tightly by the collar wrenching her body upward forcing her body to slide up the bolts. She let out a moan and winced against the pain in his eyes that were inches from her own. She felt the warmth of his breath and the gossamer touch of his nose against hers as he breathed.

She lifted her right hand to his face gently stroking his cheek then pulled him in for a kiss. He pulled back shocked, anger slipping away. "Why?" He asked genuinely not understanding.

"Because we were both alone. Even if I can't save you, even if I have to kill you to stop you, I'll die with you because I love you and will never let you be alone again." She said as she pulled his sword out of it's scabbard running the last of her wind chakra over the blade to make it sharp and plunged it down through Sasuke and herself digging the tip into the ground beneath her.

"Hn." He smiled to himself closing his eyes. She wasn't dieing for the village, he realized as he stared into her eyes. It was him, she was willing to die for him. He slid his body down the blade pulling himself closer to her watching as the lights dimmed in her eyes. "I love you," He whispered as her eyes fluttered shut then kissed her before embracing the approaching darkness himself.

When he opened his eyes he was surrounded by a flurry of movement and people. He sat up and was immediately embraced in a death grip hug by Sakura. He was in a medical tent, Naruko was gone. "Naruko?" He asked.

Sakura wiped her tears "She's gone."

_Gone?_

"She went to the front lines...Sas...Sasuke! What're you... Stop! Come back!"


	10. Chapter 10

(**A/N**: I've decided to focus on Naruko and Sasuke so I'll be skipping large parts of the war while they are separated)

**Naruko had** known Gaara would stay close. He understood Sasuke's pain and loved him for it almost as much as she did. By the time he had pulled the sword from their bodies the kyubi's chakra had already started to heal her.  
"Gaara, " she said softly looking from him to Sasuke who she had injured badly and put in a temporary death state hoping he'd stay out of the rest of the war.  
Her hand moved on it's own gently brushing the hair off of Sasuke's face. He looked so peaceful but still she could see the lines of sadness that seemed permanently etched into his face. A platform of sand formed under Sasuke lifting his body from the ground.  
"Dont worry, I'll take care of him. Command just contacted me, they need you on the front lines. Only your power with the kyuubi can find the real shinobi from the fakes. You have to go. NOW!" his shout finally pulled her eyes from Sasuke to him.  
"Right!" She said attempting to fix her messed up hair by tightening her brothers headband. She was going to protect the future, protect everyone, for herself and Sasuke and both of their brothers. Then she ran, she ran like thousands of lives depended on her and still the only life she could think of was Sasuke's.

On his way to the battlefield to find Naruko Sasuke ran into a reanimated Itatchi and together as brothers they took down Kabuto and stopped the reanimation jutsu. The encounter left him sure of his new decision. Naruko had helped him see. He was going to change the village, realize his brother's dream, be hokage and restore his clan.  
Gaara met up with the shinobi forces and took command, fighting against the forces of reanimated kage. One of Naruko's clones met and fought with him until a reanimated Madara Uchiha showed up. She left the five Kages to deal with him turning her full attention to fighting the masked Akatsuki.

She was barely holding her ground even releasing the Kyuubi and forcing an all out fight, when the unthinkable happened. Madara Uchiha arrived on the battlefield. Her heart almost stopped it was gripped so tightly with fear over the fate of Gaara, Tsunade and the other Kage. She set her teeth hard together in a scowl that threatened death as she looked at her two opponents.

She had her friends at her back and she had to protect them so she prepared to fight. Before she could make any move Madara summoned the gedo statue and revived the ten tails with bits of the one and nine-tails chakra he had collected. It was huge and terrifying, it took all her strength to keep from taking a step backwards, it was a mass of chakra that made her and Kurama look like school children. The wind rustled through her completely disheveled hair as she fought to control her emotions.

She went for it, dived in full power with Kurama beneath her but she was easily beat back by Madara's perfect Susano'o. She tried to pull herself up from the ground only getting her head up fast enough to see Madara pull the ten-tails inside of him. He looked like the re-incarnation of the sage of six paths, the original shinobi and jinchuriki. He was completely unstoppable.

She fought, gave it everything she had, but nothing was enough. He had the rinnegan, and a perfect Susano'o, cells from the first hokage, and the power of the ten-tails. She was completely outclassed.

"Let me go!" Sasuke heard Naruko scream desperately. He had finally arrived on the battle field to see Naruko's throat grasped tightly by Madara, her feet dangling in the air, her hands clawing at his where they gripped her. His sharingan eyes watched transfixed as Madara ran his hand into Naruko's body pulling out the red chakra of the nine-tails and carelessly threw her body aside.

"Naruko!" Sasuke screamed running towards her and Madara his sword drawn. Before he could strike Sasuke was stopped in mid-air as he flung himself at the man trying to destroy the world. He was frozen, only able to watch as Madara turned his own sword against him and impaled him through the chest. He was thrown landing next to Naruko on the hard dirt.

Naruko used the last of her strength to roll her useless dying body toward the man she loved. "Sasuke," she said reaching a weak hand out toward him. Her hand fell inches from his face where he lay on his stomach facing her. He reached his hand out to grab hers in his. "Why?" She asked.

He stared deep into her perfect blue eyes. There was pain in them and love, always love. He smiled coughing up blood and replied, "Together." He used his arms to drag his body across the ground pulling himself within inches of her face. "If we die, we die together remember? We die fighting, we protect the village and the world."

She smiled at him even as it was getting harder for her to breathe. "We don't...die... here." She got out between labored breaths squeezing his hand tighter in her own.

He could feel her hot breath on his face as she talked. The feel of her, the scent of her, her power and strength, everything made him believe her. "We fight," He said coughing up more blood.

"We fight." She repeated taking a huge breath, "Together." Then he kissed her. She hated the coppery taste of his blood in her mouth, hated knowing he was hurt. It was a kiss so deep and so passionate she could feel it through her entire body. She could feel him in her soul, he was a part of her. They were one, two sides of the same coin. Naruko Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, the light and the dark, the sun and the moon, eternally bonded together as one.

She felt warm all over her body. At first she thought it was just the kiss since the warmth radiated from Sasuke, but when she opened her eyes to look into his she saw they were both surrounded by a warm golden light. She tightened her grip on his hand and watched the blood disappear from Sasuke's face and felt her own breathing become easier. They were healing.

She raised her eyes to Sasuke's but they were different, he got to his feet pulling her up next to him by the hand. He closed his eyes and kissed her once more. His love for her was everywhere, she had never been loved or protected like this before. He erased all her doubts, all of her fears for her friends and left her with hope. She opened her mouth letting his tongue slide in, completely unaware she was standing lip-locked in the middle of the battlefield for the fate of the world.

Rinnegan, Sasuke's eyes held the Rinnegan. The power of the Sage of six paths, the power over life and death, the power that could only be unlocked by the union of Uchiha and Senju.

Sasuke broke the kiss as abruptly as he started it waiting as she opened her eyes into his. The rinnegan looked good on her, the power settled easily onto her shoulders. She looked like a goddess. In his impatience Madara had attacked but met with an almost impenetrable perfect susano'o emanating from Sasuke.

She let go of Sasuke's hand but they left them hanging there inches apart as she formed a wind-style rasen-shuriken and he matched his amaterasu to hers making a powerful jutsu. They charged while protected by the susano'o, using an almighty pull to startle Madara and crashed their jutsu full power into him. It broke through the blue Susano'o which caught him off guard long enough for Naruko to grab and attempt to pull the bijuu from him.

The two susano'o grappled overhead as Naruko pulled the bijuu from Madara. For a second Sasuke got the upper hand allowing her to pull them completely free.  
"Kurama! You're safe!" She called happily. The kyuubi responded with a growl that she took to mean he was worried for her. The bijuu moved to protect the shinobi while Kakashi and Guy managed to immobilize and reason with the masked akatsuki, who was a friend of theirs from childhood.  
Madara had mentioned in his taunts that chakra was originally used to bond people together but instead they turned it inwards using it for jutsu to fight.  
So Naruko dug down into herself and tried to use her chakra to reach out to Sasuke and Kurama, to whom she had been very close, and she felt them both reach back. It was an amazing feeling having Kurama back with her sharing his chakra. Even more amazing was the feeling of Sasuke's chakra in her body.  
Sasuke's susano'o moved to protect the kyuubi while Naruko used her sage mode chakra to add power to the attack and together the three of them created a bijuu doma encased in a quick rotating wind-style amaterasu covered attack that combined with attacks from all the bijuu at their backs was the magnitude of which even Madara couldn't match.

With the bijuu powers gone and his susano'o defeated Madara began backing away in shock. Sasuke dropped his Susano'o and the kyuubi returned to it's place with the other bijuu.

Sasuke grabbed Naruko's hand swirling their chakra together. They each held up their free hand and they sent all but their last drop of chakra to range before them. The result being an inextinguishable violently rotating tornado of black flames that consumed and engulfed the mad man, saving the world from his plan.


	11. Chapter 11

**After the** smoke cleared and Madara Uchiha was well and truly dead, Sasuke and Naruko turned to each other.

"Naruko," He started letting his right hand slowly drift across her cheek. Then she jumped, trowing herself onto him wrapping her legs around his waist and putting her lips on his. Her arms tightened around his head as he opened his mouth and let his tongue roam freely between their mouths. There was a low roar of celebration coming from the assembled shinobi. There were thousands of people nearby but when he heard her moan deep in her throat and tighten her legs around him they were the only two people in existence.

Someone close behind her cleared their throat and she lifted her lips from Sasuke's to look towards the sound. A beat up looking Kakashi was waving at her. "Forgetting something?" He asked pointing his finger. Naruko's eyes followed the finger until they fell upon a very very broken-hearted Sakura. Naruko let her legs drop sliding down Sasuke until her feet touched the ground.

"Sakura" She said taking a step closer to the girl. Sakura took a step back at her approach looking frightened and confused. At Sakura's retreat Naruko felt like she had been scaled by hot water, _how could I have forgotten how badly this would hurt her?_ She thought.

It was Sasuke who diffused the situation. He walked over to Sakura saying, "Naruko brought me home Sakura, I'm going home."

"Sasuke-kun!" She said tears welling in her eyes then threw herself into the boy's arms.

Naruko ran her hand over her head mussing her hair up, not that it could look much worse. She gave a guilty chuckle and looked to Kakashi-sensei shrugging her shoulders to indicate it turned out alright anyway.

There was a huge celebration that night on the battle field to celebrate the end of the war and to honor the shinobi who died in it. Bonfires were lit and sake was found. There was singing, dancing, hugs, and laughs that echoed into the starry sky above.

Naruko stood to the side watching Sakura, who hadn't physically let go of Sasuke since she touched him hours ago, and Sasuke and all of her and Naruto's friends laugh and drink. Unbidden by her the wind swirled around her making her loose long blonde hair wrap around her. She looked up at the moon above clearly seeing Naruto's face in the sky. She closed her eyes and smiled looking back to the fire, she had found her family. It didn't matter they weren't related by blood, every person laughing in the firelight loved her and that was enough.

"Naruko," Sakura said finally letting go of Sasuke and walking towards her. "Come join us! I think Sasuke is starting to miss you."

Naruko tilted her head to the side, unsure of how to respond. Then Sakura hugged her tight like a sister would and yanked and dragged her by the arm so hard she almost fell over. It was warm inside the firelight and someone pushed the sake into her hands.

"Kampai!" She shouted raising her glass and draining it. She leaned her head to her right to rest on Sasuke's shoulder watching as Kiba made a complete fool of himself declaring he would be the next hokage. She almost had to cover her eyes when in an awkward moment of silence Temari's voice rang out "Oh come on!" then noticing all eyes turned towards her grabbed Shikamaru by the collar and kissed him. She laughed when Shikamaru's only reaction was mumbling "troublesome," under his breath.

Sasuke kissed her on the cheek and put one arm around her waist laughing and smiling himself, the rare Sasuke Uchiha smile.

"To Naruko and Sasuke heroes of the shinobi world!" Choji yelled raising his bottle of sake, "Kampai!" The people around the fire shouted then the cry was taken up at every fire "To Naruko and Sasuke! Kampai!" Thousands of voiced screamed. Naruko watched as Sasuke's smile faded and his knuckles turned white as his free hand balled into a fist. Naruko stood seriously and everyone quieted down.  
"To Naruto and Itachi the_ real_ heroes of the shinobi world." She said darkly. Then she told the story, the story of their brothers of their lives and deaths and the truth of the Uchiha while the whole world stopped and listened.  
"To Itachi and Naruto," Kakashi seconded raising his drink solemnly. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as other voices joined in. Then finally when the shock wore off he smiled at first to himself then his eyes moved to Naruko. He grabbed her right hand and stood next to her. Without warning he moved one hand to wrap around her waist and his left hand cradled her head as he threw her back into a deep dip kissing her with all the strength in his heart.

She wrapped her arms around his head tightly and kissed him back smiling. Sakura hid her head behind Gaara's shoulder trying not to look but drunkenly realized how good he smelled and kissed him. As Sasuke pulled her back up Naruko noticed Gaara and Sakura making out and raised one hand to cover her shocked mouth as her jaw had dropped practically to the floor. She tried to suppress giggles as she pointed out he new development to Sasuke who smirked with a smile and his signature "hn."

The later it got the drunker everyone got and the rowdier and louder it became. Eventually Kiba proposed to a shocked Hinata leaving everyone wondering if he would even remember that in the morning. It was a perfect night, at least it would have been if, when they laid down for the night in each others arms while he was so warm and close with his intoxicating scent, Naruko and Sasuke hadn't been surrounded by a thousand people.

"Teme!" she whispered laughing as he moved his hands over her body making her ache from wanting him so bad.

He just smirked at her. "Hn, dobe." He lay on his right side facing her between two blankets on the cold hard ground. As he stared into her deep blue eyes he lifted his left hand to stroke her cheek.

It was a simple movement, a light touch, but Naruko found herself tilting towards his hand trying to deepen the contact. She took a deep breath closing her eyes as he uncurled his fingers to cup her chin. His touch was so slight it almost tickled and she struggled with that thought that nothing this perfect could be real.

When she opened her eyes to stare back at him his breath hitched at the emotions he could see. There were lights in her eyes like dancing balls of diamonds. He could physically see her love written all over her face. In his entire life he had never seen anything as perfect as her in that moment, the moonlight reflecting off her loose blonde hair that spread out on the ground under her head where it lay propped off the ground by her left arm tucked away like a pillow. At that moment the entire earth stood still, all sounds stopped, the air no longer moved, he stopped even breathing as she pulled him into herself through her expressive eyes.

He was propped up on his right arm slightly leaning over her with silver moonlight dancing across his hair as he moved when he breathed. She almost couldn't recognize the man in front of her, it wasn't an expression she had expected to see on his face. He loved her, he truly did, and his dark eyes full of love but around the edges they were almost frightened. Every time he had loved someone he had lost them and she had left him open and vulnerable. Her eyes scanned his face and a smile began tugging at her lips.

He watched as the corners of her mouth twitched a little then she broke into a wide open mouthed grin. Her hand reached up and grabbed his hand where it rested on her chin and slid it down her face, kissing his palm. Then she moved his hand down wrapping it around her waist. She slid her hand up from his hand, slowly, sensually up to his shoulder. She hooked her hand behind his shoulder and gave a playful but strong tug, pulling him on top of her.

They both moved their previously pinned arms from under their heads to wrap around the other leaning their heads into a kiss. She could feel his chest heaving against hers as he fought to breathe as their tongues fought for dominance in the kiss. His hips ground against her as he breathed and their hands roamed touching every inch of the other.

When he moved to kiss her neck Naruko moved her hands down to shimmy herself out of her pants and underwear. He raised his head looking at her confused. She just gave a very quiet giggle and the most mischievous smile. As comprehension spread across his face she saw something resembling a glint in his eyes before he closed them in a smiling smirk. Before he had even managed to get his eyes back open she had undone his pants and pulled them down far enough to expose him.

He stifled a moan as she began working her soft tiny hands over him by burying his head in her neck, her soft hair brushing over his face. He lifted his body moving himself in between her legs and began rocking his hips, rubbing his hard erection against her clit. Sasuke stopped when, after raising his eyes from where he had been watching himself grind against her to her eyes, he noticed a trail of blood down her lip where she had been biting it to keep from crying out.

He moved his hips guiding himself into her warm wet hole. Her hands tightened on his arms and she kissed him letting out the strangled haggard breath she had been holding and moaning into his mouth. Quietly and slowly he began to thrust, the pace allowing them to feel every small movement of the other. She arched her back rubbing her still clothed breasts teasingly across his chest and giving him a different angle on her hips. She moved her hands down his back then slipped them under the bottom of his shirt softly stoking the pale skin of his back.

He closed his eyes pressing his sweaty forehead against hers as he breathed heavily breathing in time with his agonizingly slow thrusts. "Naruko," He murmured opening his dark eyes into hers.

"Sasuke, uh,uh, ahhh. I love you" she said having cum in the middle of the sentence.

He crushed his mouth against hers tongues matching the pace of his hips. "I love you" He said in a husky voice as he tried to hold back his own approaching orgasm. His breaths got shorter and harder as he picked up the pace as fast as he could without making a sound. She pulled back from the kiss placing her hands on either side of his head to hold it in place. She wanted to watch his face this time when he came. Her hips arched as he crashed into her causing waves of pleasure to roll over her. She struggled to keep her eyes open watching his face as she felt him start to twitch and cum inside of her.

They both came, reality crashing back down on them as they lay sweating and panting under their blankets. They were both thoroughly satisfied and they had managed not to make a sound. She lay her head on his chest listening to and loving his rapidly beating heart, to spent to even keep her eyes open. He wrapped his arms around her and they drifted off to sleep.


End file.
